If your Desktop Computer computer isn’t powering on you might need your power supply replaced. Before you purchase a replacement power supply or visit your local computer repair shop you can follow a few basic troubleshooting steps to confirm that the power supply is the likely cause.

First, confirm whether or not your computer is getting any power – if you can hear fans spin or beeping noises when you press the power button then your computer is getting some power. If you have power but no video the power supply could still be a cause but a video problem is more likely so you should troubleshoot no video on the computer screen first.

Next, verify that your power outlet is working properly – do yourself a favor and plug something else into the wall outlet or surge protector outlet that your computer is normally plugged into, just in that off chance that your power outlet isn’t functioning. If your power out working fine then try out the next troubleshooting step.

Finally, ensure your computer isn’t in “limbo land” – sometimes computers get stuck in a state of “not on but not really off” and just need to be completely discharged of any power. By now your computer has probably been off for a few minutes so you can reconnect it checking to make sure that the connection to your power outlet or surge protector and the connection into the computers power supply are snug.

If that fixed your computer – use this as a good opportunity to replace to either install or replace your existing surge protector. If your surge protector is more than 2 years old and doesn’t offer equipment insurance you should replace it. Surge protectors lose their effectiveness and should be replaced after your home or office receives a direct lightning strike. If you live in an area with “dirty power” and experience more frequent power outages and voltage drops or frequent thunderstorms with lightning you should replace your surge protectors yearly. If you want additional surge protection or replace your computers power supply frequently you should consider using an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) which combines surge protetion with battery backup.

If your computer still won’t power on – ­you should take your computer to a local computer repair shop for diagnostic and repair. If your power supply is bad and failure was caused by an electrical storm other components inside your computer could be damaged as well. If your local computer repair shop technicians are available they should be able to test standard power supplies and determine within a 15 minutes if a replacement is needed.

What to expect with a power supply replacement?

The cost and amount of time your power supply replacement depends on whether or not your computer uses a standard power supply. If you have a small computer that takes up half the amount of space or less of a standard desktop computer case then your computer likely uses a special power supply.

Cost – The cost of parts can vary depending on quality and standard or non-standard format. Our standard power supplies are kept in stock and cost $59.99 and we charge $15 for installation. Special power supplies can cost upwards of $100, can require additional troubleshooting time and may not be regularly stocked.

Time – Computer repair shops should regularly stock standard power supplies. We are happy to test your power supply and replace it while you wait (Usually 15 minutes) when parts and technicians are available. Devices required to test special power supplies may not be available and it may be necessary for your technician to order the required parts to perform additional testing. Some parts can be purchased and receive within a few days where as other may be unavailable locally and some international orders can take up to 3 weeks to arrive.

If you have a special power supply and your computer is running Windows XP or Vista or, if you have been considering purchasing a new computer, we would recommend putting the money you would invest in your existing machine into a new machine. You can visit our computer recommendations here and we build custom desktop systems as well.

If you live near Fairfield Pennsylvania and require assistance with your computer visit our contact us page to send us a message or learn more about where to find us! .